Machine for operating on shoes



March 2 1926. 1,575,053

J. R. HOOKE MAGHIN E FOR OPERATING ON SHOES Filed June 6-. 1921 Patented Mar. 2, 1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES R. HOOKE, F HOLBROOK, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MA- CHINERY CORPORATION, OF PATERSON, NEN JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MACHINE FOR OPERATING ON SHOES.

Application filed June 6, 1921. Serial No. 475,288.

I! 0 (Hi whom itmay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMns R. HOOKE, a citizen of the United States, residing at lilolbrook, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Machines for Operating on Shoes, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indicating like parts in the several figures This invention relates to machines for op erating on shoes and more especially to means for steadying an article of work, such as a shoe, held in the hand or hands of an operative and thereby presented to a power driven tool of one kind or another.

For example, in machines for trimming the peripheries of heels the trimming in usually done by knives carried by a rotary cutter-head driven at a high rate of speed, and it is customary to provide such machines with an immovable work-rest in addition to a toplift-guard. The so-called Work-rest is arranged to afiord a support for the periphery of the heel and usually stands in front of the knives so thattheoperative, when about to present a heel for trimming, may first place the periphery of the heel on a portion of the rest and then slide the heelalong the latter until it is moved into the field of action of the knives. Thereafter the rest serves to brace the work against the downward euttingstress of the knives and affords a convenient bearing on which to rock the heel so as to trim progressively around its periphery.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered with some kinds of work, particularly heels that are made wholly or partly of rubber, in sliding the heels on the rest, both when first advancing them to the knives and thereafter when turning the shoes to trim progressively. If there is rubber or other non-slippery material in that part of the heel that bears on the rest the friction between the heel and the rest hinders the manipulation of the shoe to a degree that reduces the volume of work and also increases the difficulty of trimming smoothly.

Accordingly an object of the inventionis "to provide an improved work-rest constructed and arranged to insure against any objectionable friction as the shoe'is manipulated for an operation such as the trimming operation above mentioned. For the attainment of this object this invention provides a novel organization especiallyv adapted for performing operations such as that referred to, in which organization the operating means has associated and cooperating with it a non-frictional \i-oik-1est comprising movable means arranged to afford a support for the periphery of a heel inworking position and adapted to be moved by the heel without appreciable resistance. Although it has been stated that a work-rest embodying this invention is especially adapted to overcome difficulties encountered with rubber work, such a work-rest is none the less adapted-to fulfill the requirements for trimming heels made of leather or other non-frictional material. r

A feature of the invention consists in a novel combination with an operating tool of a stationary member, and bodily'movable means sustained thereby to afford the necessary support for the periphery of a heel in working position. The most preferable form I have so far found is illustrated by the accompanying drawings and comprises a n'endlesschain arranged to encircle a portion of a stationary member and to slide on the latter inresponse to the demands of the heel resting thereon. Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a heel-trimming machine-and includes a cut ter-head and a work-rest embodying this invention. In this view the work-rest is adjusted to an angle suitable for womens heels.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the cutter-head in the plane indicated by line 22 ofFig. 1, and includes the work-rest adjusted to a suitable position for mens heels.

Fig. 8 is a view of the work-engaging por tion of the 'work-rest as it would appear from the point indicated by the arrow 3 in Fig. 2.

In so far as the drawings show a heeltrimming machine the construction is substantially like that shown in United States Letters Patent 961,752, granted June 21, 1910' on an application of J. N. Busell. The frame 10 of the machine has bearings for a horizontal cutter-shaft 11 which is driven at a high rate of speed in the direction indicated by arrowa. This shaft carries a cutter-head which includes cutting knives 12, 12, cooperative clamping plates, one of which is indicated at-' 13,; for holding the knives, means (not shown) carried by the shaft, such as a nut, for tightening the clanip'ing plates against the knives, an adjustingmember l l'for adjusting the knives, and a pinion for imparting adjusting movement to the member'll': The clamping plates 13 are provided with eccentric grooves 16 to receive correspondingly formed flanges on the edges of the knives.

The usual equipment of a heel-trimming machine also includes a toplift guard 20 which is provided with a thin flange 21to be engaged by the periphery of the 'top'litt so as to limitthe depth of cut and. control the trimming according to the contourof' the toplitt'. This guard is usually adjustable in lines parallel to the axis ofthe shaft, so that it may cover and uncover more or less of the knives according to the height and style of the heel to be trimmed.

Such machinesalso usually include a rand guard such as that indicatedat 24-. This guard is shaped to'enter therand crease and i to bear on the counter. portion of the shoe so as to limitthedepth of cut-and to cause the trimming of the rand to conform to, the contour of the counter portion. As usual, the randguard is mounted so that it'may move towardand-from the toplift guard as required by the pitch or inclination of the heel-seat. The rand guard is normally urged toward the toplitt guard by' a spring :22 which permits it toyield to the demands of the work. I y

In additionto the parts hereinbeforedev scribed a heel-trimming machine requires. a worlerest; on which the periphery of the heel may bear so that thecutting stress of the knives will be sustained thereby andso that the workwill be. steadied. during; the trimming operation.v The work-rests heretotorc provided have been like thatshown in the aforesaid patent 961,752, that is to say, the work-engagingvportion. has been immovable. lVhile such work-rests have been satistactorv for leather heels they retard the manipulation? of the shoewhen there is any rubber or other substanceof relatively great frictional properties in that part of the heel that bears thereon. To overcome difiiculties of manipulation and to improve the trimming I provide a work-rest that will afford non-frictional support for the. heel. Such a work-rest ishereina fter. described.

A bracket 25 is formed with a grooved traction portion26, the groove being formed by confrontingflangesQT,27. This traction portion has a traction surface 28 which. is preferably fiat to guide the movable work-J engaging element .in-right lines. In theillustrated form: the movable element; comprises an endless chain 29 which loosely encircles the traction. portion .26 so that the links may slide thereon in response to the demands of the work. The links project beyond the flanges 27 to engage and support the heel so that it will not engage any stationarypart of: the rest, the flanges being preferably beveled as shown by Fig. 3 to provide sufficient clearance for heels having extremetaper orundercut. The height of the flanges is sufficient, however, to keep the chain on the traction portion. For purposes ot assembling, the flanges are provided with notches such as that indicated at 30; said notches permitting one of the pins 31 of the chain to be driven in to connect the ends after the chain has been wrapped around the traction portion.

The traction portion may be given any desired contour but one that has proved satisiact'oryin practice is substantially elliptical, as shown, although the upper surface 28 is preferably flat. The rounded ends 32, 32 should have sui'licientzradius' to enable the links; toslide freely.

hen trimming a, heel the operative usually manipulat s the shoe substantially as follows: lVith his left hand he grasps the counter portion and with his right hand he grasps the toe,- the shoe being held initially so that its length is substantially horizontal. Before presenting the shoe to the knives the periphery of the heel is placed on the movable element 29 and then the shoe is moved lengthwise toward the knives so that the extreme rear of the heel will be the firstpart to be trimmed. This-relation is represented by the solid outline 33 in Fig. 2. The reason for initially presenting the shoe in this position is that there is usually more excess stock at the rear of the heel than elsewhere,andthe operatives prefer to remove. it before trimming progressively around the periphery of the heel. After moving theheel to the position indicated by the outline the operative swings the toe up and down slightly to trim an inch more or less of the excess stock at the rear. This having been done he removes the heel from the held of the knives and then swings the toe downwardly until the corner 3i is moved into thefield of trimming. The previously trimmed. breast 35 is thus placed on the movable support 29 and the progressivetrimming is executed by swinging the toe for.- wardly and upwardly, the left hand, still grasping the counter portion, maintaining a downward pressure on the movable support 1 and a pressure such as tomaintain the shoe against therand guard and against the Hang-e21 otthe toplift guard. As the toe of the shoe swings upwardly the trimming progresses from the corner 3% around the periphery of the heel to the opposite corner 36, during which the links of the chain 29 slide onv the traction portion in-response tothe rollingaction ofthe heel on the links.

The work-rest is preferably mounted so In that it may be adjusted to various angles and other positions according to the style of heel to be trimmed. For example, the position shown by Fig. 1 is suitable for a Louis heel or any other high heel of relatively great pitch. On the other hand, when trimining relatively low heels, whether mens or womens, the work-rest should be squarely in front of the knives as shown by Fig. 2, and should stand substantially at right angles to the axis of the cutter-head instead of standing at a considerable angle as shown by Fig. 1.

To provide for such adjustments as may be necessary the bracket 25 is formed with a cylindric shank 40 which is held by a setscrew 41 in a socket formed in a stud 42. The work-rest may therefore be adjusted vertically and may alSO be turned to various positions about the axis of the shankportion. Furthermore, the stud 42 is capable of adjustment about its axis and also lengthwise of its axis, in consequence of being mounted in a. split clamping portion 43 of the machine frame. A bolt 44 serves to tighten the clamping portion.

Referring to Fig. 2, the links of the chain are preferably scalloped 011 those edges that bear on the traction portion 26 to enable them to slide on the rounded surfaces 32 without disturbing the heel relatively to the knives, but the opposite edges of the links are preferably flat so as to afford a substantially plane work-engaging surface on which the periphery of the heel may roll with a smooth, even or regular motion.

Although the invention has been described with particular reference to heels made wholly or partly of rubber or similar material having a high degree of friction, it is equally useful in trimming heels made entirely of leather or other non-frictional material.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine having a tool for operating 011 an article of work undergoing maiiiipulation, a work-rest comprising a support having a traction surface, and a chain of which some of the links are arranged to slide on said surface and engage the work to support or brace the latter in cooperative relation to said tool, said chain being movable by the work as manipulation thereof requires.

2. In a heel-trimming machine having a rotary cutter for trimming the periphery of the heel, and a toplift guard for controlling the depth of trimming, a stationary member arranged adjacent to said cutter, and workengagiug means arranged to slide on said member and support the heel, by its periphery. in cooperative relation to said cutter and said toplift guard.

3. In a. machine having a tool for operating on an article of work undergoing manipulation, a work-rest comprising a support having a groove and a traction surface therein, and a chain of which some of the links are arranged to slide on said surface, said chain being formed to provide a smooth even surface projecting from said groove to engage the work and being movable by the work as manipulation requires.

4. A work-rest comprising a stationary member having a substantially plane traction surface and two convex traction sur faces connected thereby, and an endless chain arranged to surround said surfaces, the links of said chain being arranged to slide on said surfaces and to be engaged and moved by the work.

5. In a heel-trimming machine having a rotary cutter for trimming the periphery of the heel, and a toplift guard for controllin the depth of trimming, the combination of a support, and a chain the links of which are arranged to slide on said support and engage the periphery of the heel to support the latter in cooperative relation to said cutter and said toplift guard.

6. In a machine for operating on shoes, the combination with an operating tool, of awork-rest comprising a stationary member having a substantially elliptical traction por tion the major dimension of which extends toward and from said tool, and an endless chain arranged to surround said traction portion and slide thereon and engage the work to afford a non-frictional support for the work.

7. The combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a longitudinally movable chain arranged to afford a support for the periphery of the heel, and means for sustaining said chain so that its work-engaging portion will be movable otherwise than circularly toward and from said tool.

8. The combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a stationary member having a traction portion, and a work-engaging chain arranged on said traction portion so as to support the work in cooperative relation to said tool and so as to slide on said traction portion in response to movements of the work.

9. The combination with a power-driven tool foroperating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a stationary member having a traction portion adjacent to said tool, and an endless chain arranged to slide on said traction portion and to afford a nonfrictional support for the periphery of the heel.

10. The combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a stationary member having a portion adjacent to said tool, and workengaging means arranged to slide on said portion so as to afford a movable support for the periphery of the heel.

11. The combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a stationary member arranged adjacent to said tool, and an endless chain arranged to surround and slide on a portion at said stationary member so as to atl'ord a movable support for a heel in working position relatively to said tool, the links of said chain being formed to present to the heel a substantially plane surface coextensive with a series of said links. 12. ihe combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel of stationary means adjacent to said tool, and means arranged to slide in substantially right lines on said stationary means so as to altord a movable support for the periphery of a heel in working; position.

13. The combination with a power-driven tool for operating on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a stationary member adjust-ably arranged adjacent to said tool, and means movable on said stationary member in substantially right lines toward and from said to have non-slipping contact with the periphery of a heel turning in the Held of opera-- tion of said tool.

15. The combination with a rotary tool for operating on a heel, of a Work-rest comprising an element arranged to execute substantially rectilinear movement adjacent to said tool so as to have non-slipping contact with the periphery of a heel turning in the field of operation of said tool.

16. The combination with a power-driven tool for opera-ting on a heel, of a work-rest comprising a series of pivotally connected sections arranged to have non-slipping contact successively with the periphery of a heel turning in the field of operation of said tool.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES R. HOOKE. 

